Nude selfies popular with local teens but whom do we blame?

Years ago a former student at Detroit’s Western High School was Playboy magazine’s Playmate of the Month.

Students, and even a few teachers, roamed the halls with copies of the magazine, showing off the nude photographs of the Playmate, who left the school about a year earlier and had moved to California.

Those of us who took the time to get past the photos and read the short accompanying article were, as I recall, somewhat surprised at the embellished biography.

This was the 1960s, long before the Internet, Instagram and selfies.

Advertisement

Little was said to the young students, mostly boys but some girls, who wanted others to see the revealing photos of the celebrity they once knew.

And as far as I know no one complained about the teachers who took part in the fun.

In a few days, it was mostly forgotten, save a few boys who kept the center-fold so they could brag about the Playmate they knew personally.

This incident at my high school came to mind recently when I read a report about three high school boys facing criminal charges for reposting online nude or sexually explicit photos of 17 teenage girls.

You read that right – 17 girls, all of whom apparently took explicit selfies and then sent them to friends, both boys and girls.

Once on the Internet, they were reposted through Instagram, one with the title “exposing the hoes.”

There’s no excuse for what the boys did. But wouldn’t you think that 17 girls from six different high schools would know better?

But this is a new era. Kim Kardashian is filmed having sex and becomes a $6 million a year reality TV star.

Paris Hilton stars in a TV show and suddenly gets more publicity with the unauthorized release of a film showing her performing a sex act with a former boyfriend.

And the next likely movie blockbuster “Sex Tapes” features actress Cameron Diaz in the buff, along with her male co-star.

If “exposing the hoes” surprises you, just wait.

It’s only the beginning.

“It’s a widespread problem,” said Warren police detective Donald Seidl about revealing selfies by teens on the Internet.

“It’s not just these cases, it’s all over.”

The popularity of kids posting explicit photos has spread across the county. Other police departments are investing incidents, according to sources, and more criminal charges are possible.

Which raises the question few want to ask or answer –- who is really to blame?

Should three teenage boys face jail and possibly a lifetime on the state sex offender list for reposting nude selfies?

Can we really label these girls “victims” of a crime when they originally posted the same photos?

Earlier this year, topless photos of girls attending a middle school in northern Macomb County were distributed via smartphones.

Outraged parents stepped in and quickly put an end to the unfortunate incident.

That, it seems to me, was better than calling the cops.

Ken Kish, a retired editor and contributing columnist, may be reached at kennethkish12@gmail.com.